The sealing of doors to separate the inside from the outside, or a secure area from a public area is an interface which must accommodate a wide variety of demands. That is, the interface must provide sufficient security as well as permit access to individuals including handicapped. For example, as door levers are being mandated by current building codes, the use of door knobs has significantly decreased. The door handle includes a lever on both sides of the door. The latch mechanism is released by turning the handle with a force which is not to exceed a predetermined limit. Many building codes also require deadbolts for securing the door. However, the codes usually require the latch and deadbolts to be retracted simultaneously upon the single actuation of the inside handle for emergency egress. Therefore, unintended entry may be gained by bending a stiff wire, sliding it under the door and angling it back to the face of the door to loop on the lever and pulling the lever down. As the deadbolt is automatically released when the inside lever is actuated, this actuation of the inside lever substantially reduces the security provided by the deadbolt. Door guards and door chains do not add security when a person leaves a room, as these devices may be only actuated by someone inside the room. Further, once the inside handle and deadbolt are released, the remaining security devices may not provide the most sufficient security.
Further, the National Life Safety Code, State Codes, Model Building Codes, require that openings such as room entries in dormitories, hotel and motel rooms and offices from corridors must be sealed to prevent the passage of toxic gas and/or smoke and may also include a fire resistive rating. Codes also reference “Listed Authorities” for clarification of Nationally Recognized Standards such as NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) NFPA 105 for setting limits of smoke infiltration. Even if the door frame is sufficiently sealed, a sufficiently large gap at the bottom of the door may substantially defeat a frame seal. Further, many of these doors must be self closing and self latching. However, anything which rides on or rubs against a rug or floor may interfere with the self closing and latching, thereby violating the codes. While thresholds are used to seal the gap with the bottom of the door, the thresholds often present a trip hazard and may be so high as to violate handicap codes. Further, the presence of gaps between door and floor or even frame, allow penetration of noise, smoke, odor, light, and contribute to noise penetration.
A current problem in the marketplace exists with respect to the ability to use existing seals to harm persons. For example, people have pulled gasketing material off of door frames in prisons, psychiatric facilities, halfway houses, and other locations, and have used the same to strangle or hang themselves and/or others. This very real threat has led at least the State of New York to pass regulations relating to the length of strips of gasketing material that may be used to do harm.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need in the art for both an improved security seal for affixation at or below a door and an improved multi-finger door frame seal for affixation in a door frame surrounding the door, the overall door sealing system for improving performance with respect to fire codes, heating/ventilating codes, and industry self-policing codes (e.g., ASTM, NFPA, and/or ANSI codes). Also, such smoke seals should function to prevent fire-fueling oxygen from entering such rooms, while also reducing the ability to use existing seals to harm persons, e.g., by strangulation, hanging, etc.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, a multi-finger seal system sealing between a door and surrounding frame is provided. The frame includes a stop and a rabbet surrounding strike and hinge sides of the door. A first multi-finger seal portion is provided, at least a portion of which is disposed on a lock jamb adjacent the strike side of the door, with the first seal portion including a base affixed upon the rabbet on the lock jamb and a plurality of flexible fingers extending therefrom. The fingers include first, second, and third fingers extending from the base. The first finger has a length less than the second and third fingers, and the third finger has a length greater than the first and second fingers. The third finger is located closest to the stop on the lock jamb and the first finger is disposed farthest from the stop so that the first finger is first contacted and bent by the door toward the second finger when the door is being closed. A second multi-finger seal portion is disposed on a hinge jamb adjacent the hinge side of the door. The second seal portion includes a base attached upon the stop of the hinge jamb so that the base of the second seal portion is arranged substantially perpendicular to the base of the first seal portion. The second seal portion further includes first, second, and third flexible fingers extending from the second seal portion base with the first finger of the second seal portion being the shortest of the three and located farthest from the rabbet of the hinge jamb and the third finger of the second seal portion being the longest of the three and located on the stop closest to the rabbet of the hinge jamb so that the hinge side of the door first contacts and bends the first finger of the second seal portion toward the second finger of the second seal portion when the door is being closed. A plurality of perforations are located at predetermined intervals along the first and second multi-finger seal portions. The perforations are formed such that the multi-finger seal system breaks away and into pieces proximate to where the perforations are located should removal of the multi-finger seal system from the frame of the door be attempted.
In certain example embodiments, a multi-finger seal for sealing between a door and surrounding frame is provided. A base is provided for mounting on one of a stop and rabbet of the surrounding frame. First, second, and third flexible sealing fingers protrude outwardly from the base. The second finger is located immediately between the first and third fingers with the first finger having the smallest length and the third finger having the greatest length. The first finger is located relative to the door so that it is first contacted and bent by the door toward the second finger when the door is closing. The first finger has a length sufficiently small so that when contacted and bent by the closing door the bent first finger does not overlap the second finger. A plurality of perforations are located at predetermined intervals along the base and the first, second, and third flexible sealing fingers. The perforations are formed such that the multi-finger seal system breaks away and into pieces proximate to where the perforations are located should removal of the multi-finger seal system be attempted.
In certain example embodiments, a method of making a multi-finger seal for sealing between a door and surrounding frame is provided. A base is provided for mounting on one of a stop and rabbet of the surrounding frame. First, second, and third flexible sealing fingers are provided, which each protrude outwardly from the base. The second finger is located immediately between the first and third fingers with the first finger having the smallest length and the third finger having the greatest length. The first finger is located relative to the door so that it is first contacted and bent by the door toward the second finger when the door is closing. The first finger has a length sufficiently small so that when contacted and bent by the closing door the bent first finger does not overlap the second finger. A plurality of perforations are formed at predetermined intervals along the base and the first, second, and third flexible sealing fingers. The perforations are formed such that the multi-finger seal system breaks away and into pieces proximate to where the perforations are located should removal of the multi-finger seal system be attempted.
The features, aspects, advantages, and example embodiments described herein may be combined to realize yet further embodiments.